1. Field of the Invention
This invention pertains generally to time keeping devices, and more particularly to an apparatus for logging, tracking and processing the amount of time spent on projects.
2. Description of the Background Art
Clocks, watches and other timekeeping devices are well known and widely used. Further, many individuals and businesses determine how much to charge their clients or customers based on the amount of time spent on a particular project. This often requires the recording of start and stop times during periods of activity, computation of elapsed time during each period of activity or a total elapsed time for all periods of activity, and application of a billing rate or other billing factor to the total elapsed time. As an alternative to recording start and stop times and computing an elapsed time from that information, it is also known to use timers or other devices to record and display total elapsed time. Further, it is known to record, track and process the information either manually or by using electronic data processors.
Examples of devices which have been previously developed for timekeeping purposes include those found in U.S. Pat. No. 4,164,038, which discloses a hand held calculator with memory designed to store time to keep accounting of billable hours; U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,905,186; 4,115,870 and 5,007,015 which disclose portable data terminals that can store data for later downloading; U.S. Pat. No. 5,068,787 which discloses a portable device for tracking elapsed time by job, department or account number, and which provides for downloading the data; U.S. Pat. No. 4,195,220 which discloses a device which permits the recording of elapsed time associated with a number of tasks, and provides information for billing; and U.S. Pat. No. 4,164,038 which discloses a combination calculator/time recording device and teaches that elapsed time may be determined by using a counter or subtracting start and stop times to obtain a difference signal.
The foregoing patents reflect the state of the art of which the applicant is aware and are tendered with the view toward discharging applicant's acknowledged duty of candor in disclosing information which may be pertinent in the examination of this application. It is respectfully stipulated, however, that none of these patents teach or render obvious, singly or when considered in combination, applicant's claimed invention.